End piece for lady&#39;s watch band



y 1959 w. 3. mm? 2,884,672

END PIECE FOR LADIES WATCH BAND Filed Nov. 6, 1957 INVENTOR. 729mm C Wacy,

United States Patent 2,884,672 END PIECE FOR LADYS WATCH BAND Wyman C. Tracy, Rockton, Ill.

Application November 6, 1957, Serial No. 694,812

2 Claims. (Cl. 24-73) This invention relates to an end piece for a band such as a watch band, which facilitates attaching the band to a ladys watch or similar article, and has for its principal object the provision of a new and improved device of this'kind.

It is a main object of the invention to provide an end piece for a ladys watch band which facilitates securely attaching the band to a ladys watch, which end piece is devoid of split rings which must be opened to receivev the mounting ring of a watch casing and closed to secure the band to the casing.

Another object of the invention is to provide an end piece for a ladys watch band, which can be attached to and removed from the case of a ladys watch without deformation of the loop on the end piece that engages the loop on the case.

Another object of the invention is to provide an end piece for a ladys watch band, having working parts enclosed in a shell which can be shaped and ornamented so as to add to the appearance of the band and the watch to which the band is attached. I

Further objects of the invention, not specifically mentioned here, will be apparent from the detailed description and claims which follow, reference being had to the accompanying drawing in which a preferred embodiment of the invention is shown by way of example and in which:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary plan view drawn to an enlarged scale and showing the end piece of the present invention attached to a ladys watch;

Fig. 2 is an elevational view with the end piece in cross section along its longitudinal median line and with a linktype watch band attached thereto;

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the ratchet plate of the device;

Fig. 4 is a plan view of the spring assembly; and

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary view of the shell of the end piece showing a cord type of ladys watch band attached thereto.

Watch bands for attachment to a ladys watch are frequently provided with an end piece containing a loop through which a split ring is threaded, this ring being opened to permit entrance into it by the loop on the watch and thereafter closed to secure the band to the watch. Such arrangements While satisfactory are at the same time subject to criticism that the split rings sometimes open, releasing the band from the watch with the resultant damage to the watch or loss thereof. The split rings being formed of metal matching the metal in the watch and hand, must be soft enough to permit ready opening and closing thereof as required, and as a result unusual stresses placed on the ring frequently result in an accidental opening of it.

In other prior art devices of which I am aware, end pieces of the watch band have included rings which are hingedly secured at a point diametrically opposite from an overlapping portion which hooks together to secure the ring to the loop of a watch. Such end pieces are subject to the same criticism as are the split ring arrangemeat.

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The present invention provides an end piece for at taching a ladys watch band to a ladys watch, which is free from the criticisms applicable to prior art devices. In its preferred form, the end piece of the present invention consists of a shell which is generally rectangular in configuration and is of rectangular cross section or contains a rectangular cavity within an ornamented outer configuration of the shell. Disposed within the shell is a pivoted bar and a ratchet plate, which bar and plate have teeth that. are interengag'ed to secure the plate in the shell. I

The end of the plate projecting from the shell contains a: rigid loop which extends from one edge of the plate in an arcuate path to a: position adjacent the opposite edge of the plate, there being a slot between the free end of this loop and the plate, through which slot the loop on the watch case can be inserted without distortion of either loop. After the end piece is thus hooked onto the watch casing, the plate is telescoped into the shell, and when so positioned that its inner end abuts. against the closed end of the shell the slot through which the loop on the watch casing was threaded lies partially or wholly within the open end of the shell and is thereby closed to present disengagement of the end piece loop from the watch loop.

The closed end of, the shell contains means for attachingthe end piece to the watch band, which means must necessarily vary in accordance with the particular type of watch band to which the end piece is attached.

The invention will be best understood by reference to the accompanying drawings wherein a ladys watch is shown as having a casing 1 from which a loop 2 projects to facilitate attaching a watch band to the casing. The particular configuration of the watch casing and loop are not of the essence of the present invention.

The end piece of the present invention consists of a shell 3 Which in the embodiment shown is rectangular, having top, bottom and side walls and a closed end 4 from which a loop 5 is projected to facilitate attaching the end piece to a watch band. As. shown, a chainlike band 6 is attached to the end piece.

Disposed within the shell is a bar 7 that is generally rectangular in shape and extends from side Wall to side wall of the shell and is pivotally mounted on those side walls by pivot means 8 located adjacent the closed end of the shell.

Fixed to the bottom side of the bar 7 is a spring as sembly consisting of a lower spring 9 and a shorter upper spring 10, the springs being attached to the bar in convenient manner such as by a screw or rivet. 11.

Bar 7 contains in its upper surface a plurality of trans. versely extending teeth 12.

Slidably positioned in the shell above the bar 7 is a ratchet plate 13 having teeth 14 on its under face, which teeth register with the teeth 12 on the bar 7 in the manner best seen in Fig. 2. Located at one end of the plate 13 is a loop 15 which extends from one edge of the plate in an arcuate path into juxtaposition with the other edge of the plate, there being a slot 16 interposed between the free end of the loop 15 and the end of the plate. Preferably the end of the plate is chamfered as shown at 17, so as to permit easy entrance of a watch case loop such as 2 into the loop 15.

After the loop 15 has thus been registered with the loop on the watch case, the bar 13 is pushed into the shell 3 until the inner end of the bar abuts against the closed end Wall 4 of the shell. At this time the slot 16 will be inside of the open end of the shell or approximately completely therein so as to close the slot and prevent an unwanted disengagement of the watch case loop 2 from the loop 15. During inward movement of the plate 13, the inclined surfaces of the teeth 14 thereon engage the inclined surfaces of the teeth 12 on the bar 7, and the bar is rotated thereby clockwise as seen in Fig. 2, against the tension of the spring assembly. When the end of plate 13 abuts the closed end 4 of the shell, the teeth 12 and 14 mesh together as shown in Fig. 2, and the plate is thus secured in the shell.

Should it be desired to detach the watch band from the watch case, a suitable instrument is inserted into the notch 18 in the end of the bar.7 and the bar rotated upon its pivot 8 downwardly againstthe tension of the spring assembly 9 and 10. This detaches the teeth 12 from the teeth 14 and the plate 13 can be withdrawn from the shell. If desired, suitable stops may be provided to prevent complete withdrawal of the plate 13 from the shell; however, ordinarily such arrangements are not required.

Thus it will be seen that the end piece of the present invention includes a shell in which the working parts of the device are incorporated and concealed. The exterior surfaces of the end piece can be shaped to match the design of the watch case and watch band, and can be ornamented in any desired manner, including the attachment of jewels thereto. The shell and the ratchet plate 13 are preferably both composed of metal matching the metal of the watch case and band, that is, yellow or white gold, either solid or as a filled or plated material; silver, platinum, stainless steel, or any other metal or alloy, as required.

In the embodiment shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the loop 5 by which the end piece is attached to a watch band, contains a vertical perforation, that is, a perforation centered on an axis disposed at right angles to the face of the watch, to permit attaching of the end piece to a vertically disposed link such as 6 in the watch band. In Fig. 5, I have shown a fragmentary view of a similar end piece shell 3a, having a loop 5a which is disposed vertically so as to permit attachment of a cord type watch band 20, the horizontal loop of which is threaded through the loop 5a and secured by a metallic band 21 in the usual manner.

From the foregoing, it will be apparent that the end piece of the present invention permits attaching a watch band to the casing of a watch without deforming the loop by which such attachment is made. As a result this loop can be made stiifer than would be possible if its deformation were necessary to permit attaching the end piece to the watch casing loop. When closed and locked in the shell of the end piece, the loop is positioned so as to completely block the slot through which the loop on the watch casing entered the loop on the end piece and accidental disconnection of the end piece from the watch casing is thereby definitely prevented. Since the loop in the ratchet plate of the end piece is relatively stiff, it is capable of resisting unusual shocks without deformation of the loop.

While I have chosen to illustrate my invention by have done so by way of example only, as there are many modifications and adaptations which can be made by one skilled in the art within the teachings of the invention. showing and describing a preferred embodiment of it, I It is contemplated that the generally rectangular shape of the shell of the end piece will be subject to extensive modification to match the end piece to the design contour of the Watch casing to which the band is designed to be attached.

Having thus complied with the statutes and shown and described a preferred embodiment of my invention, what I consider new and desire to have protected by Letters Patent is pointed out in the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. An end piece for attaching a watch band to a ladys watch comprising: a shell having top, bottom andside walls and closed at one end and open at the other end; means on the closed end of the shell for attaching the shell to the band; a bar disposed in said shell and extending into substantial alignment with the open end thereof; pivot means extending through the side walls of the shell and engaging said bar adjacent the end thereof that is adjacent the closed end of the shell for pivotally mounting the bar in the shell; spring means engaging the bottom wall of said shell and said bar for urging the free end of the bar upwardly towards the top wall of the shell; a plurality of teeth on the upper face of the bar, said teeth pointing towards the closed end of the shell; a ratchet plate positioned between said bar and the top wall of the shell, which plate is slidable lengthwise of the shell; a plurality of teeth depending from said plate, each engaging a tooth on said bar thereby to prevent movement of the plate out of the shell; a slotted loop extending from said plate beyond the end of said shell through the slot in which the watch case loop is threaded to attach the end piece to the watch case, said slot being within the shell when the plate is fully inserted therein and being closed by the shell to prevent accidental disengagement of the end piece from the watch case.

2. An end piece as specified in claim 1, in which the plate is rectangular in cross section and in which the slotted loop extension of the plate lies wholly between the planes of the upper and lower surfaces of the plate.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 318,369 Gottstein May 19, 1885 1,223,574 Fedczyszyn Apr. 24, 1917 2,146,125 Maski Feb. 7, 1939 FOREIGN PATENTS 96,034 Switzerland Sept. 1, 1922 2, same column.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTIGN Patent No. 2,884,672 May 5 3.959

Wyman L, Tracy It is hereby certified that error appears in the-printed specification of the above numbered patent requiring correction and that the said Letters Patent should read as corrected below.

Column 4, line 5, strike out "showing and describing a. preferred embodiment of it, I" and insert the same before "have done so in line Signed and sealed this 25th day of August 1959.

(SEAL) Attest:

KARL H, AXLINE ROBERT C. WATSON Commissioner of Patents Attesting Officer 

